The Tenants (2005)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Danny Green

Writers:

David Diamond (writer)
Danny Green (adaptation)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Too close for comfort.

Plot:

2 novelists try to finish their latest books.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Interracial Relationship | 1970s | Brooklyn | Based On Novel

Cast

Dylan McDermott	...	Harry Lesser
Snoop Dogg	...	Willie Spearmint
Rose Byrne	...	Irene Bell
Seymour Cassel	...	Levenspiel
Niki J. Crawford	...	Mary Kettlesmith
Aldis Hodge	...	Sam Clemence
Linda Lawson	...	Anna
Stephen Jared	...	Young Cop
Laz Alonso	...	Jacob 32
Danielle Lozeau	...	Janine
Christopher May	...	Stage Actor
Richard Pacheco	...	Guy in Cafe
Karimah Westbrook	...	Female Partygoer
Lamont Bentley	...	Male Partygoer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mike Boland	...	Oskar
Nirene DiNardo	...	Glinda
Carla Glover	...	Party Goer
Abud Kadid	...	Ali
Bryant Pearson	...	Featured Male Partygoer
Matt Sarno	...	Wiley
Jevin Smith	...	Hitman

Also Known As:

Room 109 (Germany) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, some violence, sexual content and drug use.

Runtime:

USA:97 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH & Co. KG II

Soundtrack:

Quartettsatz in C Minor

Too literary adaptation of "classic novel" sinks under its pretensions

Tenants Two writers struggle to complete their books in an all but empty apartment house. They at first help each other and then slowly the tension between them begins to build.

This is based upon a Bernard Malamud novel and unfortunately everyone speaks as though they are in that novel. Very little of the dialog is natural, its purple and brimming with shades of meaning. Its as if a college English major with a head full of pretensions wrote the script. It's awful and I found myself instantly immune to anything the film had to say, which is a shame since the film is populated with great performances from top to bottom. Snoop Dog on down are fine form, unfortunately none of them can over come the falseness of the words and the premise.

I can't really recommend this movie. While not really bad, its very preachy and pretentious to the point of making you want to walk away. I lost interest less then a third of the way in and had to struggle to get to the end. If you're interested I'd try it on cable, but I wouldn't lay out good money to see it.